Swatantra Bharadwaj arrested for assault during Jantar Mantar protest

NEW DELHI: Swatantra Bharadwaj, accused of assaulting the father of student activist Nishu Azad during a protest at Jantar Mantar, has been taken into custody, news agency PTI reported quoting Delhi Police. The development came hours after representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with MPs Chandrashekhar Azad and Pappu Yadav, met officials at Parliament Street police station and sought Bharadwaj's arrest. The police had assured the delegation that Bharadwaj would be arrested within 72 hours.

Bharadwaj came under scrutiny after a video of his interview circulated widely on social media. In the clip, he appeared to admit that he "cracked the skull" of Nishu Azad's father during the Jantar Mantar protest. The CJP had been demanding Bharadwaj's arrest and alleging that Delhi Police failed to take adequate action against him after the incident. On Friday, CJP representatives said police had also assured them that additional charges, including attempt to murder and provisions under the SC/ST Act, would be added to the FIR concerning the alleged assault. The police had earlier said Bharadwaj and another accused, Suraj Kumar, were detained at the spot, questioned and served notices. Police had also said that a chargesheet would be filed. The controversy intensified after Bharadwaj's video surfaced, in which he appeared to claim that political connections had helped him avoid jail. The CJP has demanded clarification from senior BJP leaders over the allegation.